It really really hurts when your parents say things to you that are at odds with your reality. I was incredibly bright but, as my mom always reminded me, who wants a bright girl? What she wanted was a prom queen. But, aside from Carrie, not too many mentally ill girls who are extremely symptomatic end up as prom queens.

Fact is, we are all pretty smart, some of us very smart, and some of us very smart at very different types of things. And we are all kind of pretty, some very pretty in different ways. Anyone who says anyone else is stupid is either angry, ignorant, or so messed up they need to go around attacking other people.